Two Burmese fishermen have been rescued by the Australian coast guard after drifting in shark-infested waters for 25 days.

The two men - who survived by living in a giant icebox, drinking rainwater and eating scraps of fish - were picked up in the Torres Strait between Australia and Indonesia and winched to safety by a helicopter on Saturday.

The pair claimed that their ten-metre boat, comprised of 11 other Burmese and seven Thais, had fallen apart in rough waters causing the crew to abandon ship. Distress signals were ignored and it is believed that all the other crew died at sea.

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The men were rescued after they waved their brightly-coloured shirts in the air to catch the attention of a Coastwatch aeroplane.